Behringer Artistshttp://www.behringer.com/artists
Wed, 23 Apr 2014 17:18:51 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6.1Checking in with BEHRINGER Artist Blake Lewishttp://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=7172
http://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=7172#commentsThu, 23 May 2013 23:02:41 +0000http://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=7172 — Read More]]>Blake Lewis wears many hats in the music industry. He is a singer, songwriter, beatboxer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. While he is most well-known as the season six first runner-up on American Idol, his career was already in full swing before taking the Idol stage. He has also kept busy in the years since his stint on Idol, doing what he loves best – making music. Blake is currently finishing up his third studio album, Portrait of a Chameleon.

Most recently, you may have seen him on the big screen. Blake, along with his new single “Your Touch,” are featured in the new advertising campaign for Internet Explorer 10. The ad is currently running during the pre-movie show in movie theaters across the country.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with Blake about all of his exciting new projects.

How did the Internet Explorer commercial come about?

I had been producing commercial music for my friend Keith Rivers, who is a director in Seattle, and he asked me to do a piece for them a long time ago. This time around I was working on my album, doing a beatbox sample library, and he got inspired to write a treatment of me doing some beatbox on a touch screen and it went from there. I was working on my song “Your Touch” and thought it would be perfect for that commercial.

It must be exciting to see it on the big screen.

I’m so happy it’s out here. It’s already been getting a great response in the U.K. and Germany.

Tell us a little bit about your new album. This one is self-produced?

I have a co-producer and an engineer, and we’ve done it all ourselves. It’s almost done, I’m only a couple of weeks away. I’m doing a west coast radio promo tour with my label Republic Records.

What kind of musical direction are you taking with the album?

Well, I like to describe this album as a future-pop, electro album. It incorporates a lot of my ’90s influences – all the influences from my adolescence are coming out on this album. There is an R&B influence coming out that I never knew I had. I grew up with Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Prince, but in the ’90s I wasn’t really into a lot of R&B. I was into more house music, rock and pop. But now it’s just been pouring out of me. My rock side is also coming out on this record and it’s definitely heavy with electronic music. I’ve been playing a lot of piano lately and this album is filled with Rhodes piano, with beatboxing as more of an auxiliary percussive instrument. My beatboxing doesn’t always sound like a human voice, it sounds more like samples of drums. I’m doing a lot of programmed beatboxing as well as a live mixture on every song. I have one song that is like 80% human mouth, which is pretty fun. I get to show off a little of my R&B side and a little of my reggae side, which I’ve always loved. I’m really excited about it. I have some glitch hop on there. This one is more of a songwriter-electronic-pop record.

So you’re recording most of this album at your home studio?

Yeah, I’ll be recording mainly here. Some recording is done at other studios. My album is called Portrait of a Chameleon because my music is ever-changing. Just like this album – it’s cohesive, but it’s still multi-genre pop.

How does doing this album compare with you previous albums?

Well, the first album, Audio Day Dream, was too many cooks in the kitchen. I got to work with great producers, and I had a record label telling me what to do, but it took a lot of the creativity out of the creative process. So with this project, I’m writing all of my music, and I only have a couple of friends I like to write and collaborate with. We’re very fortunate to have gotten my single out through Republic, and they’ve been great. We’re just starting our relationship right now.

So this album gives you the creative control you were missing on your first two albums?

The process was a lot different back when I did my first two albums. The first one was different. I was with RCA, and right when I got signed, and my album came out, pretty much everyone got fired on that record label. I was pretty much shelved as an artist – well not shelved, my album came out, but no promo was being done. That was that, it was kind of a sad time. So, I got off of my ass and started writing more music immediately. It took two years to get with Tommy Boy. My album Heartbreak on Vinyl was really about heartbreak. I was losing myself in the music, which kept me off heartbreak, but I was still writing about it. You can only do so much. This album is definitely more of an uplifting anthem album. Not so much about love, there are a couple of love songs on there, but it’s more about loving yourself, and life – getting out of the darkness and into the light.

I hear you are planning a concert series for Stageit.com?

Yeah. As soon as I get everything set up. Right now I’m focusing on getting this album together and getting my music prepared. When it’s ready I will have people over to my house to jam, and we’ll do the shows. They’ve approached me a couple times and I would love to do it. I have so many friends that are such amazing musicians. In my home I have a cool set up – a white piano, that I’ve had since I was 11, and a white drum set on a purple rug. Now that I have the mixer and speakers from BEHRINGER, I’m almost all set up.

Who would it be your dream to work with?

Oh, man there’s a million people. I love collaborating with people. Even being a beatboxer and jamming with people. There’s a million MC’s I would like to give a beat to. I’m inspired everyday by different musicians, and singers, and songwriters – Sting, Jill Scott, Harry Connick Jr. I’m down to jam and collaborate with any type of genre. There’s so many different cool producers that I’d love to do something with, and tons of British artists that I’d like to do vocals for. Andy Allo is this new girl Prince is working with and she is awesome. Not many people know about her yet. There’s several beatboxers across the world that I’d love to jam out with. I’m an only child so I like sharing, and jamming with people, because I never had that when I was growing up.

What is the most memorable highlight of your career?

Oh man, there are o many moments and moving pictures are in my head. Before Idol, I had some amazing moments. I got to open for Jurassic 5 in the Tacoma Dome, with a rap group called Unexpected Arrival from Seattle. I got to beatbox with Del the Funky Homosapien from Hieroglyphics at the Showbox, it was just me and him. It seemed like an eternity on stage with him. He just kept going and I kept beatboxing. I was 21 or 22 and it was a huge moment. I got to battle Qbert in front of 2000 people back when I was 21, and that was a huge moment for me. In 2004 I was on one of the first beatbox compilations, Human Element. I played a lot of places in Seattle and I grew up as a musician. It’s an amazing town to be playing music in.

What were some of the most memorable moments from your time on American Idol?

That whole entire year was amazing. There were little triumphs every week. It was really fun. Beatboxing with Doug E. Fresh in the finale was huge. I got to meet Bono, and I talked to Quincy Jones for an hour and a half one night. There were all these amazing moments, and then after that, there was making the album and going on tour. I got to play to a million people on New Year’s Eve in Times Square. The list goes on. I’ve got moments and moments and moments that I forever will cherish and tell my grandkids about someday.

One of my favorite things about attending the NAMM show each year is getting to meet all the musicians who stop by our booth. Some are seasoned professionals who’ve been around for years, some are up and coming, and some are just getting their feet wet in the industry.

This year one of my biggest surprises was meeting 12 year-old singer/songwriter Talia Denis. Despite her young age, Talia is already making an impact in the music world.

And guess what?

She bought her very own X32 Digital Mixer using the money she has earned through her performances.

Talia took some time out of her increasingly busy schedule to chat with us about her music and her X32.

How long have you been performing and how did you get started?

My first unofficial performance was when I was 4 years old. I was at one of my father’s company holiday parties and the band they had hired for entertainment took a break. I asked my father if I could go up and sing a song. I don’t think he thought I was actually going to do it, so he said yes. I walked up, grabbed the microphone and sang the song “Angel” by Sarah McLachlan. I have been performed my own music with my band since I was 10 years old.

Almost every night night I watched some kind of music performance, from James Taylor to Iron Maiden to David Gilmore to Beyonce. I was always watching and listening to music. That is what first motivated me to become a musician and a performer. I have been surrounded by music for my entire life.

What is your songwriting process – do you come up with lyrics first or music, do you write with someone?

I write alone and with an amazing writer, musician, producer and engineer named Brian Mansell. He is in Los Angeles and I am in upstate New York, so we communicate online via audio and video chatting. Sometimes I fly out to the West Coast or he comes here. Typically I write music first, and then the name, an idea or a feeling will come to mind. I write lyrics as the idea grows in my mind.

Who inspires you as a songwriter and musician?

There are many – Sarah McLachlan, Peter Gabriel, and Hayley Williams from the band Paramore inspire me as a singer. To be honest, Brian, my songwriting partner, has been my biggest inspiration as a musician and songwriter. He has done so much for me. He can play pretty much any instrument and he comes up with the coolest arrangements. Other than Brian, I have to say that Sara Bareilles, RUSH and MuteMath – that band is just totally amazing – have really inspired me. I have also gotten to know some amazing world class musicians such as bass players Tony Levin and Michael Visceglia, and drummers Jerry Marotta and Sterling Campbell. You can learn a lot from people who have been professional musicians for so long and have achieved so much.

What drew you to the X32?

First, I want to say that I know I am only 12 years old, and because I am so young, people often don’t realize that I earn money from performing. A lot of people don’t know that I study both live and studio sound. I actually research and buy a lot of my own gear. I travel with my own PA system and light show that I purchased over time with the money I have earned from touring and selling merchandise.

I have a sound engineer who usually does sound for me, but for one particular show I had to use a different guy. At that time, we were using a different digital board that I used to own. The new sound guy told me that the X32 was just about to come out. My father and I did a bunch of research on it, and once we saw what the X32 could do, we sold the other mixer and bought one right away. That turned out to be a great move.

How do you use the X32?

I mainly use the X32 for mixing and recording live shows.

What do you like about the X32?

There are so many things to love about the X32. There are 32 Channels of MIDAS preamps with motorized faders, and a good number of effects generators with really nice reverbs, delays, and other effects. I used to have three extra outboard effects units that I would run with my previous mixer, but I have sold those. Everything I need is in the X32. You can run all of the effects and other settings from the nice big screen, which is much better. A lot of times I play with other bands and the scene memory and recall is great. The motorized faders make recalling a scene from a sound check very fast and easy. We record every show when I am touring, and it is easy for my sound guy to do a virtual soundcheck with tracks recorded from the last show. This makes our actual sound check much shorter.

What is the highlight of your music career so far?

Photo credit: Lawrence Basso

Well there are a few. First, I LOVED headlining my own tour last year. Playing shows in a different town every night is really exciting and fun. I performed with Rusted Root at the last show of my 2012 Summer tour. I have been able to meet some really amazing people in my short career. The B-52s have been very nice to me. They have invited me to their shows and allowed me to watch sound checks. Peter Gabriel’s band, especially Tony Levin, have been very good to me. It was amazing to have drummer Sterling Campbell, drummer Jerry Marotta, bass player Michael Visceglia, and guitarist Zak Soulam play on my first record. I am lucky to have a pretty long list of highlights for someone my age. I think the big highlight this year will be the release of my new record. I have worked very hard on these songs and I think people are going to be surprised with the new music I am making.

]]>http://www.behringer.com/artists/?feed=rss2&p=71020Living Colour Takes the X32 on Tourhttp://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=7062
http://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=7062#commentsMon, 20 May 2013 23:50:06 +0000http://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=7062Iconic rock band Living Colour is currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of their double-platinum debut album, Vivid, with a world tour.

On the road with them is an X32 digital mixer. The mixer is being used for their stage monitor mix, in-ear mix, recording, and even their front-of-house mixer – when the mixer they had been using broke down.

Check out this video with bassist Dave Wimbush discussing the band’s experience with the X32, and how they all became X32 converts!

“For those looking to get a great vibrato at a great price, I recommend this Behringer Vibrato.” – Juan Alderete, July 2012

]]>http://www.behringer.com/artists/?feed=rss2&p=59510BEHRINGER Artist Thomas Starks Reflects on the Past Yearhttp://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=5041
http://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=5041#commentsWed, 21 Dec 2011 23:29:04 +0000http://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=5041 — Read More]]>2011 has been a good year for BEHRINGER Artist Thomas Starks. Here is what he had to say:

2011 has been a banner year for me in many ways. I was able to attend NAMM 2011 with Behringer and we were profiled in ASCAP. I was also given the opportunity to utilize BEHRINGER’s awe inspiring UltraAcoustic ACX 1800 in several live and in studio applications. All the while, still writing my way into 2012 with an upcoming 3rd LP to be released in March. I look forward to the future with Behringer and am so very grateful for this memorable year of music, memories, and trail blazin! — Thomas Starks December 2011

]]>http://www.behringer.com/artists/?feed=rss2&p=50410BEHRINGER Artist Benjamin Wright Discusses His Legendary Career in Musichttp://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=4761
http://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=4761#commentsFri, 04 Nov 2011 20:23:04 +0000http://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=4761 — Read More]]>You might not yet know legendary string arranger (and BEHRINGER artist) Benjamin Wright by name, but you’ve almost certainly heard some of his music. He has worked with some of the most prominent names in modern music, from Michael Jackson to Justin Timberlake. Wright, one of the most sought after string arrangers in the music business, has done the string arrangements on such albums as Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall, Justin Timberlake’s Justified, and Outkast’s smash hit Speakerboxxx. Wright depends on BEHRINGER in his studio, and he recently took some time to talk with us about that and his career.

You toured with a lot of major acts including James Brown and Otis Redding. What was it like touring with such well known acts?

Those tours were package deals, my band played on the same bill. I met James Brown when I had just gotten out of high school. His band was hot. He had four drummers on his stage. I had never seen that before. One guy was the drum captain. It was very exciting to stand on the same stage and watch them. With Otis it wasn’t the same kind of musical situation. James Brown was such a great musical act. Otis’ band was not as good, but he was hot. It was his songs and his singing. It wasn’t so much as how the band sounded. With James it was the whole sound. It was a production. Otis was just beginning to peak. It was a very exciting time for me. It my first time on the road, and it was the first time I had left home.

Who influenced you as a musician?

My favorite musician is Duke Ellington. I used to play with a guy called Fats Ford back when I was in the military stationed in Montgomery, Alabama. Fats was a trumpet player who said he had played with Duke Ellington, but no one believed him. He was a hip guy. He had all the top society gigs in town. I was a kid and just starting out, but he loved the way I played. I didn’t know standards, I just played funky. One time he picked me up for a gig he was playing at the college. When we arrived at the gig, there was a sign in front saying ‘Duke Ellington.’ We opened the door and there he was. Ellington and his band were in there and when we walked in they were all like “Hey Fats.” So it was true he had played with him. Fats introduced me to Duke. He told him that I was a young talented musician and arranger. Duke talked to me for about fifteen minutes. I was so impressed by that. A few months later Duke passed away. I was so touched by him that I named one of my sons after him.

How did you get into arranging?

In my hometown of Greenville, Mississippi, before integration, all the black kids had to go to one school. There were over 400 kids in the band with one band director. We had the number one band in the state. One time we told band director we wanted to play the number one song on the radio at the football games. I don’t remember what song it was. He told us we could do it if we could write it. We didn’t even know what he meant, but we had to come up with parts for everyone in the band. We were able to figure out the melody. It was bad, it was only about three notes, but everyone knew the melody and accepted it. When the audience recognized that part they all clapped. That had a major effect on me and that’s when I decided I wanted to write music. Every time I heard a record I always felt like ‘that should have been this or this should have been that.’ Whatever song I heard, I thought of how it could be different. That set the path to my career. It was a good thing. It’s how I developed my ear.

What are some of your favorite experiences arranging music?

It would have to start with Michael Jackson. Off the Wall was my first big record. Later, I did a big song with Earth Wind and Fire called “Boogie Wonderland.” I had built a reputation for big sound, and that was what they wanted. You listen to that song and it’s heavy on the timpani, they kept saying they wanted more timpani. I did a lot of work with DeBarge. That was some fantastic music. I also did some great stuff with Aretha Franklin.

Several years back, I got a call from Sony UK and they sent me some of Jamiroquai’s music. I was the musical director for Gladys Knight at the time. We were in Manchester, England. One night these kids were hanging around the bus wanting to talk about music. I stayed and talked with them for a while. It turned out they were in Jamiroquai’s band, and I didn’t even know. They thought I was the nicest guy in America for staying and talking with them.

I’ve had great fun working with Justin Timberlake. I have fun. I don’t compromise on the music, but I do have fun.

Can you talk about what BEHRINGER products you use?

My whole studio is almost all BEHRINGER. I got turned onto it by the owner of a small music store near my house. He really believed in it. So I tried it out. It outperformed the stuff I had. Almost everything in my church is BEHRINGER too. I have 6 of the V-VERB Pro REV2496′s, 5 tube processors (T1952), 2 MULTICOM PRO-XL MDX4600’s, 7 Ultra-DI DI100’s, 2 DDX3216 digital mixers, 8 Eurodesk mixers, used four of them on big-band gigs, but they are better for home recording. I have 6 ULTRAGAIN PRO-8 Digital ADA8000’s, headphone amps, headphones, and 2 pair truth monitors – the 3031A and the 3030A. That’s just what I have in my own studio. My kids, who are also in the music industry too, use it also. Everyone who comes into my studio, from Jamie Foxx to Outkast, sees it.

MDX2400, MDX4600, T1952

POWERPLAY PRO XL 4700

]]>http://www.behringer.com/artists/?feed=rss2&p=47610BEHRINGER Artist Thomas Starks Discusses the ACX1800http://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=4361
http://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=4361#commentsTue, 28 Jun 2011 17:09:35 +0000http://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=4361Check out this new videos with BEHRINGER artist Thomas Starks. We spent some time in his home studio. He talks about life as a BEHRINGER artist and discusses his brand new ACX18000, the 1622FX mixer and the UCA200!

]]>http://www.behringer.com/artists/?feed=rss2&p=43610BEHRINGER Artist Russell Wolff: 365 Days, 365 Songs for Cancer Researchhttp://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=3751
http://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=3751#commentsWed, 20 Apr 2011 18:25:37 +0000http://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=3751 — Read More]]>BEHRINGER artist Russell Wolff is no stranger to the music business. He has opened for acts like Michelle Branch, Sugarland, and LeAnn Rimes, and can be seen playing his guitar in Martina McBride’s video for “Wrong Baby Wrong.” Most of the time he can be found in the studio recording and producing new music. His latest project reaches beyond the music industry to help a greater cause. Wolff has committed to writing, producing, and recording one song each day for 365 days. His project is in honor of a childhood friend who is battling stage IV cancer. He already had the desire to do something that would help others, and when he found out about his friend his purpose became clear, he would write songs to raise money for cancer research. Writing, recording, and producing a song all in one day is no easy task, but it is a task Wolff finds rewarding as a songwriter.

Wolff is already over 100 days into his project, which began on December 20th, 2010, and he hasn’t slowed down yet. He took some time to chat about his work and his life as a producer and musician.

Can you talk a little about your 365 project, who it’s for and why you are doing it?

Well, the journey actually started on New Years Day 2010. I felt the aching need to do more to help the world around me. Just being involved in the creation or performance of music wasn’t enough anymore. I had to put my skills and talents to work in a way that could bring meaningful change to people’s lives. By December, 2010, I settled on writing and producing one song a day for a year in hopes of inspiring others to do something each day to help someone in need. I also wanted to raise awareness and money for a charity. Six days into the project, I learned that my childhood friend Dana was very sick with stage IV oral cancer. I immediately let her know that the project would be in honor of her, and that cancer research had became the cause I had been searching for. We ended up locating a good charity in Atlanta where she has been getting treatment.

Is it hard to come up with a new song every day?

Some days it is. But most days, life writes them for me. I am constantly surrounded by characters.

What inspires you to write a new song?

Under ‘normal’ circumstances, BREAKUPS! Let’s be honest here. But this year, for the sake of this project, I have found myself writing about all sorts of things… the excitement when you first meet someone new, the disappointment when it doesn’t work out, Dana’s fight in the hospital, rude people with lousy attitudes, my old boss, an egg sandwich, and yes, even… Charlie Sheen.

How can people support what you are doing?

Helping us spread the word is great. Donating is wonderful as well. We have a page on Facebook as well as the main site. People can “Like” us on Facebook, listen to the songs for free, then click the link to donate whatever they can. The more people know about the project, the better this year will be for cancer research.

What do you hope to do with the songs?

Some of the songs are already being performed by other artists, some might make it into soundtracks, radio, etc. I have performed some of the songs around Nashville in the interest of the project. We have discussed taking the best 12 to 24 songs and making an album at the end of the year. Proceeds of course, would go to the charity.

You moved to Nashville to focus on production and songwriting after releasing your own albums, what made you make such a big change to your career?

I have always been fascinated with producing music, even as a kid. My first recording studio experience was cutting vocals at age 12 in New York City for a Broadway Show demo. At home, I was making fully ‘produced’ demos on a little 4-track cassette recorder with tons of vocal and instrument arrangements. Producing has always been a part of me. So, shifting from artist to producer was a very natural progression. I had a wonderful touring career as an artist and the best fans in the world. (Shout out to my fans!) But I knew I could do far more good at this point by producing and touring with other artists.

What are some of the highlights of your music career?

There really are so many. I am very lucky to wake up each day and do what I love for a living. Here are a couple of recent highlights…

- playing guitar with Martina McBride (“Wrong Baby Wrong” video). She is wonderful to work with.

- While opening for Sugarland, the singer I was on tour with was having a rough night and dropped the key of her first song a half step on guitar. I didn’t transpose the keyboard in time… So, we started the song a half key apart. I stopped and made a joke about it. There is something truly magical about having thousands of people laughing WITH you, not at you.

Who were some of your influences as a musician?

My uncle bought me my first album when I was a kid. It was Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon so, that was a good place to start. Growing up, I was into musical theater, then Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and 80’s-90’s alternative. I learned guitar by listening to Floyd, REM, & the Indigo Girls. Overall, I have been more influenced by great performers and songwriters than by great technical musicians. Performers like Michael Jackson and Garth Brooks, writers like Freedy Johnston and Jonatha Brooke, producers like Rick Rubin and Butch Vig… and oh yeah, the Beatles.

]]>http://www.behringer.com/artists/?feed=rss2&p=37510BEHRINGER Artist Animals as Leaders at SXSW 2011http://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=3521
http://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=3521#commentsThu, 24 Mar 2011 22:45:38 +0000http://www.behringer.com/artists/?p=3521Tosin Abasi of Animals as Leaders chats with Ryan at South by Southwest 2011 in Austin, Texas. The band performed at the Habana Bar Backyard during SXSW festival.